Fulham keeper Marcus Bettinelli has outlined his ambition to earn his place in the England Under-21s squad for the European Championships in the summer.
The 22-year-old made his first start for the Young Lions and kept a clean sheet in Friday's 1-0 win over the Czech Republic, which he feels has boosted his chances of earning a place for the tournament in June.
"I'm delighted, I've worked really hard for that and I'm really grateful that Gareth has given me the opportunity to play," Bettinelli told the FA's official website.
"I've been playing well at Fulham and thankfully, Gareth, [goalkeeping coach] Martin Thomas and the staff have seen that, so I've got a call and I'm delighted with my debut.
"It was a tough game in the first half and we had to ride out a few waves of attack from them, but I couldn't be happier with the clean sheet and my debut. I've waited a long time for it so my main priority now is to carry on playing and try to get on that plane in the summer."
Bettinelli has made 38 appearances in all competitions for the Cottagers this season.
Simon Sinclair
